Yocto Linux Embedded

The Yocto Project is an open-source collaboration providing a framework and tools to build custom embedded Linux distributions from source. Unlike downloading a pre-built Linux image, Yocto lets developers specify exactly which packages, drivers, and kernel patches to include, resulting in minimal, optimized images for resource-constrained devices. At its core is BitBake, a build engine that parses recipes (instructions for building packages), manages dependencies, and orchestrates cross-compilation across architectures (ARM, x86, RISC-V, etc.). Yocto is widely used in automotive (connected vehicles), IoT (smart home, industrial), robotics, set-top boxes, and medical devices. It powers products shipped by Intel, Qualcomm, NXP, Xilinx, and thousands of embedded system companies.